Leg for interconnecting superposed trays or the like



Sept. 27, 1960 I c $M|T 2,954,127

LEG FOR INTERCONNECTING SUPERPOSED TRAYS OR THE LIKE Filed March 17', 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P 1960 G. c. SMIT 2,954,127

LEG FOR INTERCONNECTING SUPERPOSED TRAYS OR THE LIKE Filed March 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 2,954,121 Patented Sept; 27," 1 960 LEG FOR INTERCONNECTING SUPERPOSED TRAYS OR LIKE Gerard c. Smit, Zwijndrecht, Netherlands, assignor to Tornado N.V., Dordrecht, Netherlands, a company of the Netherlands Filed Mar. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 7213M Claims priority, application Netherlands Mar.'20, 1957 4 Claims. (01. 211-183 Legs in accordance with the invention can be used for interconnecting a plurality of trays the one above the other, vertically or in staggered relation, to form a vertical or an inclined stack, and so that the stack can either be suspended from the top tray, or be supported by a stander. r

. In order that the invention may be well understood, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates, by way of example, three embodimentsthereof.

Fig. l is an elevational view of a first embodiment for interconnecting two horizontal wire trays disposed the one verticallyabove the other, it being understood that only part of each tray has been illustrated.

Fig. 1a is an elevational view of said embodiment at right angles to the elevational view illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper part of the second embodiment, and of part of a wire tray suspended therefrom.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper part of the third embodiment and of part of the wire tray suspended therefrom.

The leg shown in Figs. 1 and 1a comprises two rods 4, 5- lying in a common plane and having their lower and also their upper portions parallel to one another, the intermediate parts being slightly convergent in upward direction. Said rods are rigidly interconnected by a ring 6 welded to both. Their lower ends 4a, 5a are bent so as to be adapted to hook inwardly under the thick circumferential top wire 7 of the bottom tray and to engage said wire through nearly 180.

The parallel lower portions of the rods 4, 5 serve to guide a slide 22, which is adapted, in its lowermost position, to close or practically close the hooks 4a, 5a, so that the latter are positively prevented from disengaging the wire 7. However, it is to be understood that the leg could be detachably connected to the bottom tray by any other suitable means, provided that it permits swinging movement of the leg about the wire 7.

The upper ends of the rods 4, 5 are also bent through nearly 180 so as to be adapted to outwardly hook the thick, circumferential top wire 8 of the top tray. Some distance below said hooks the rods 4, 5 are interconnected by a pin 9 welded to both. Said pin extends through an elongated aperture 10 provided in the lower portion of a member 11 having a U-shaped profile and tapering in upward direction. The member 11 has a round bottom recess 12 in the upper edges of its flanges, said recess being adapted to receive the wire 8. The narrow web 11a of said member functions as an abutment for the outermost bottom wire 13 of the upper tray. The upper edge of the aperture 10 has three round bottom recesses 14, each adapted to receive the pin 9.

' wire 8, engages the web 11a of the member 11.

To suspend the top tray, in horizontal position, vertically above the lower tray by means'of the legs described hereinbefore, theleg, hinged to the wire 7 of the lower tray, should be swung inwardly through a small angle and passed between two substantially vertical wires constituting one side wall of the top tray, so thatthe hooks 4b, 5b assume a position approximately at a level with the wire 8, but inwardly spaced therefrom. The member ll'must thereupon be raised until the bottom of the recess 12 engages the wire Sand so that pin 9 enters the central recess 14. If thereafter the leg is swung outwardly until its hooks 4b, 5b engage the wire 8 so as to'practically close the recess 12, the top' tray, when released, will swing by gravity about the axis of thewire 8 and the outermost bottom Wire v 13, which is parallel with the If the dimensions of said member are suitably chosen in relation to those 'of the tray, the latter will now assume a horizontal position provided that the leg is vertical. If the pin 9 should engage the innermost or the outermost recess 14, the tray will assume a downwardly or an upwardly inclined position, it being understood that the upward inclination relative to a horizontal plane is equal to the downward inclination relative to said plane.

It goes without saying that the two trays should be interconnected in a similar manner on the sides opposite the leg 4. The leg used'for that purpose should first be connected to the upper tray and only thereafter to the lower tray. The upper tray will then assume a fixed position relative to the lower tray.

Fig. 2 shows a somewhat simplified embodiment. In this embodiment, the bent portion 4b, 5b of the upper end of leg 4, 5 also books the wire 8 of the upper tray outwardly. Some distance below said'hook the rods 4, 5 are interconnected by across pin 9, about which a 'Ushaped'n1ember 11 is rotatable, the latter being provided with three recesses 15 adapted to receive the outermost bottom wire 13. The round bottoms of said recesses are located at different distances from the pin 9. If the abutment member 11 assumes a substantial horizontal position and extends towards the tray, the latter will assume a substantially horizontal, or an upwardly inclined, or a downwardly inclined position, according as the wire 13 is engaged by the one or by the other recess.

In accordance with Fig. 3, a U-shaped housing 16 is secured to the upper ends of the rods 4, 5. Each side wall of said housing is provided with a slot 17' extending in parallel relation with said rods. Slidable in said slots is a cross pin 18 provided, intermediate said side walls, with a shoulder guided by the parallel upper ends of the rods 4, 5, so as to prevent the pin from longitudinal sliding movement.

Rotatably mounted on a cross pin 23 provided in the upper portion of the housing 16 is a U-shaped member 1 9 straddling the housing 16 with a certain amount of clearance. The flanges of said member are provided with two round bottom recesses 29 opening outwardly and of diiferent lengths, which are adapted to receive the projecting ends of the pin 18. The upper portion 21 of the member 19 is bent so as to hook outwardly over the wire 8 of the upper tray. The web of the member faces the tray and functions as an abutment for the outer bottom wire 13 of the tray.

The operation of the member 19 is similar to that of the member 11 illustrated in Fig. 1. That is to say, if the pin 18 rests on the bottom of the slots 17, the member 19 will rest on the projecting ends of said pin. The web of said member will then be substantially parallel with the rods 4, 5, that is to say vertical, and the tray will assume a downwardly inclined position, owing to the fact that the wire 13 is located a certain horizontal dis tance inwardly from the Wire 8. If the member 19 is then turned inwards, the pin 18 can be moved upwards until it registers with the lower or the upper recess 20, and if the abutment member is thereupon released so that the pin 18 engages the bottom of the one or the other of said recesses, the tray assumes either a substantially horizontal, or an upwardly inclined position. Also in this case the angles between the central position and either end position should be equal.

Increasing the number of the recesses 20 permits the tray to assume more than three diilerent positions relative to the leg. 7

It will be understood that legs as described can also be used for stacking trays or the like having closed side walls, provided that wires or the like are provided along the upper edges thereof adapted to be hooked by the legs.

What I claim is:

l. A leg for interconnecting and supporting superposed basket trays and the'like, including a lower tray and an upper tray, comprising an elongated member having means at its lower end for engaging with a lower tray and having at its 'upper end a hook-shaped portion for pivotally supporting a rim portion of an upper tray, and an adjustable supporting member carried by the upper end of said leg adapted to engage and support an upper tray in a plurality of angular positions in relation to the leg.

2. A leg for interconnecting and supporting superposed basket trays and the like, including a lower tray and an upper tray, comprising an elongated member having means at its lower end for engaging with a lower tray and having at its upper end a hook-shaped portion for pivotally supporting a rim portion of an upper tray, and an adjustable supporting member carried by the upper end of said leg adapted to engage and support an upper tray in a plurality of angular positions in relation to the leg, said adjustable supporting member being formed in its upper portion with a recess for receiving said rim and with a 'slot extending substantially at right angles to the plane passing through the leg and said recess, the upper edge of said slot being formed with a plurality of spaced-apart 4 second recesses and said leg being formed with a rigid pin adapted to be received selectively in said second recesses.

3. A leg for interconnecting and supporting superposed wire basket trays and the like, including a lower tray and an upper tray, comprising an elongated member having means at its lower end forengaging with a lower tray and having at its upper end a hook-shaped portion for pivotally supporting a rim portion of an upper tray, and an adjustable supporting member carried by the upper end of said leg adapted to engage'and support an' upper tray in a plurality of angular positions in relation to the leg, the adjustable supporting member being rotatable about an axis parallel to said hook-shaped portion and provided with recesses of dilferent depths adapted to receivea wire element of a tray located below said hookshaped portion.

4. A leg for interconnecting and supporting superposed wire basket trays and the like, including a lower tray and an upper tray, comprising an elongated member having means at its lower end for engaging with a lower tray and having at its upper end a hook-shaped portion for pivotally supporting a rim portion of an upper tray, and an adjustable supporting member carried by the upper end of said leg adapted to engage and support an upper tray in a plurality of angular positions in relation to the leg, the adjustable member being rotatable near the top' of the leg about an axis in parallel relation with a wire element of an upper tray and is provided With a bent portion adapted to hook said element, said member being further provided on its outer side with recesses of different depths, and the leg-being provided with a longitudinal slot and with a pin adapted for sliding movement in said slot, said recesses being adapted to receive said pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

